2026 Koocanusa Scramble | Eureka, MT | July 11
Hop in the saddle—or lace up your sneaks—and tour the Salish Mountains. The Koocanusa Scramble is a one-of-a-kind day-long Montana event featuring a gravel ride (with 3 options), as well as a 5-mile family walk or ride option.
Each course comes complete with incredible views of the Salish Mountains, the Canadian Rockies and Lake Koocanusa, and more. It’s also an opportunity to challenge yourself, find adventure, and have a ton of fun. This event is fully stocked and supported with aid stations, medical personnel, and, quite possibly, cupcakes.
Black Butte Challenge / Long Course – A 90ish mile course of almost continuous backcountry gravel with 9.908 feet of climbing. Travel deep into a remote part of the Salish Mountains to enjoy peekaboo views of Lake Koocanusa and a trip around the backside of McGuire Mountain. Pedal back into the Pinkham Drainage via Ten Mile Talus and into Upper Fortine, travel west of Eureka via Thirsty Lake Road, and finish with a steep descent on Sand Hill Lane and onto the Pacific NW Trail.
The Butterfly Effect / Short Course – A 45ish mile, mixed surface loop with 4,757 feet of climbing. Warm up on pavement before transitioning to gravel roads that climb out into the mountains with views of Lake Koocanusa and the Canadian Rockies. Descend down Homestead Drive and into the Pinkham Drainage via Orthlope Lake Road and Lupus Lane, then finish with a steep descent on Sand Hill Lane. This route finishes on the Pacific NW Trail, with a detour onto Hoodoo Ln.
SandHill Vistas - A 20ish mile, mixed surface loop with right around 2,000 feet of climbing. Start at Abayance Bay with stunning views of the Canadian Rockies. Climb up to Black Butte Lookout for views to the east of the Northern Whitefish Range and then back down onto Orthlope Lake road. A quick jaunt up and over Lupus Lane and down into Black Lake Rd. More views at the top of Sandhill Rd before you descend down and onto the Pacific Northwest Scenic Trail and back to Abayance Bay Marina. This is also possible with the E-Bike Alternate finish from Electric Wings.
Electric Wings / E-Bike Course – A 44ish mile, mixed surface loop with 4,741 feet of climbing. Catering to those who prefer a little throttle, this course is similar to the Butterfly Effect. It starts on a paved surface, transitions to forest service gravel, and finishes with a quick stretch on the highway.
The Family Ramble / Walk or Ride – A 5-mile out and back track with 231 feet of climbing that is suitable for both walkers and bikers. Perfect for families and kids, pace yourself while enjoying beautiful views of Lake Koocanusa and the Tobacco River.
Come for the ride, stay for the music. All routes start and finish at the Abayance Bay Marina in Rexford, Montana. Abayance Bay is the largest and only full-service marina and entertainment complex on the US side of Lake Koocanusa. Abayance Bay offers live music, relaxed fine dining, 40+ acres of recreation space—plus tents sites, cabin rentals, and parking.
The Koocanusa Scramble is a fundraiser for Bike Walk Montana, the only statewide organization advocating to make Montana a safer and more accessible place for you, your friends and family to walk, bike and roll. Our work is focused on education for safe and active transportation. We work to:
● Enhance early planning efforts to include the infrastructure for safe walking, bicycling and rolling
● Encourage more people to use active transportation in their daily lives
● Improve policies and laws, targeting education for all road users